fromageselfies

[fromageselfies]

Hello, cheese lovers!!! Life has been crazy these past few months, and I've accidentally abandoned you- but never fear! I'm still living the cheesiest of lifes, and am back to spread the word of the curd! I recently accepted a job in Seattle, working for a kick*ss family owned cheese company, and get to drive this beautiful truck around the PNW, slinging cheese. Isn't that AMAZING?! I'm officially a cheese trucker! I get to curate the selection of cheese and charcuterie that I load up on the truck, which is basically a warehouse on wheels, and go around to chefs and retailers and sell directly off of the truck. Cool, huh?! I won't bore you guys by telling you how FLIPPING ridiculous our cross country move was- it was long, it was strenuous, it was expensive, and lots of things went wrong. But we made it, and are totally loving the great Pacific Northwest! I'm going to be much better about keeping up with you guys- from my travels around Oregon and Washington with the cheese truck, to Fancy Food Shows and the American Cheese Society Conference- I'll make sure your lives stay cheesy 😉 I'm back, baby!

[fromageselfies]

Ahhhhh! It’s a ginormous cheese! Gruyere wheels are made in huge disks that weigh in at about 75 pounds. They’re a workout (and a lot of fun!) to cut into! We’ve talked about Gruyere many times, but let’s cover some basics about one of my favorites again!

Country of Origin: Switzerland!

Milk Type: Raw cow’s milk

Rennet Type: Traditional, animal rennet (sorry vegetarian friends!)

A PDO cheese (meaning it’s make process has specific guidelines that it has to stick to to be called ‘gruyere’), gruyere is also one of my favorite cheeses out there! This particular variety comes to us from a company named Kaltbach, who cave ages these delicious wheels for about a year before they make their way to us. Emmi, the mother company who makes sure that we get all of these delicious Alpine cheeses, tells us that only the very best wheels are chosen to go into the caves, when they are only three months old. This fromage has won it’s fair share of awards, and for me, it’s not tough to see why! It’s no secret that I love making dishes with melty cheeses, and gruyere is one of the best melting cheeses out there! Perfect for mac and cheese or fondue, with it’s deliciously brothy, and nutty flavors, I also really love just pairing gruyere with a good apple- pink ladies are my favorite! Stouts or a big Cabernet Sauvignon make some of the most perfect beverage pairing with this cheese. Where Comte (Gruyere’s French sister cheese) is sometimes milder, with more nuanced flavors, Gruyere tends to be on the more robust side of things.

[fromageselfies]

My boss and I like to joke that Piave Vecchio is one of the most overlooked cheeses out there. I’m here to help you get to know this Italian wheel of deliciousness a little bit better!

Country of Origin: Italy!

Milk Type: Pasteurized Cow

Rennet Type: Traditional, animal rennet (sorry, vegetarian friends!)

One of the reasons that we’ve decided that people tend to overlook this delicious cheese lies on the ‘monger side: this baby is NOT easy to cut through-Piave has an INCREDIBLY dense paste. This means that it’s a little bit more difficult to cut through the wheel- but it’s totally worth every bit of effort! Vecchio means ‘aged,’ or ‘old,’ and this particular incarnation is aged for 12 months. Made in Italy’s Veneto region in the North, this formaggio has deliciously nutty, slightly sweet flavors that come through, that are mixed in with hints of pineapple- sound familiar? I use those flavor descriptors a lot when talking about Parmigiano Reggiano! Like the King of Cheese, Piave is amaaaaaazing for grating over pastas or shaving over salads. The paste, though, is very different- for Parm, you notice how grainy it is (that’s it’s make style, ‘grana’ cheeses, coming through), but Piave has a much smoother, firm paste (it is a cooked curd cheese hence the variation in texture!). Both are studded with those delicious little cheese diamonds, tyrosine, though!

Like Parmigiano, Piave also has a PDO designation (since 2010), meaning that it must be produced under very specific regulations to bear the name of Piave, which they stamp all the way around the rind of the finished cheese (again, just like they do for Parmigiano!).

If you happen to see this cheese at your local cheese counter, grab a chunk! I recommend it shaved over an arugula // red onion // caper // pear salad for a dinner that you won’t soon forget! Drink wise... you can go a lot of different ways!  Maybe you feel like an amber ale, or a Pinot Grigio? You won’t regret  either one!

[fromageselfies]

Herve Mons is, in my opinion, one of France’s best affineurs (one who cares for and ages cheese to perfection). Here we have his Pyrenees sheep cheese, made in the traditional Basque ossau iraty style. Let’s cover the facts!

Country of Origin: France! Milk Type: There are both pasteurized, and raw milk versions out there- always made with sheep milk! Rennet Type: Traditional, animal rennet (sorry, vegetarian friends!) Manchego is the first cheese to come to mind for most when they hear ‘sheep cheese,’ but I urge you not to forget about the amazing Pyrenees sheep cheeses. With a very supply paste that almost melts on your mouth, the flavors found in this fromage are nutty, and fruity. If you love Lactalis’s Petit Basque, I’d be willing to bet that you’ll enjoy this one as well!

With its fruity flavors, stone fruits are almost a no-brainer as a pairing. Try some dried Turkish apricots, some fresh peaches or even a ripe pear with a bite of this sheep cheese, and you won’t regret it! Drink wise, it’s almost hard to go wrong. Beer person? Try it with a saison or a lambic. Wine drinker? A Tempranillo or a fruity Sauvignon Blanc (think New Zealand varieties, or Chilean ones) would take this pairing over the top.

So, let’s talk a little bit more about Herve Mons, because I’ve mentioned him as the best before, and you’re probably wondering why I think this. Well- I’m definitely not alone! In 2000, Herve Mons received the title of ‘Best Artisan Crafstman of France’- which is REALLY saying something for a country so dedicated to crafstmanship, and the love of food!  How did it all start? With Herve’s parents, who on a whim, decided that they wanted to sell cheese! Now, the Mons cheese empire is expansive- they sell cheeses in 25 countries, and at any given time, are aging nearly 200 different types of cheese to perfection. If you see a cheese with Herve Mons’ name on it, I highly recommend that you pick one up and give it a shot- you won’t be disappointed!

[fromageselfies]

Mimolette: you guys know that I love this cheese enough that I named my second cat after it; it really IS that good.

Country of Origin: France, of course!

Milk Type: Pasteurized Cow’s Milk (mooooo!)

Rennet Type: Traditional, animal rennet (sorry, vegetarian friends!)

There are a few cheeses that 9 times out of 10, if I give someone a sample of it, it immediately ends up in their carts; aged Mimolette is one of those cheeses! However.... Mimolette definitely makes you have a love-hate relationship with it, if you’re the one who has to cut it! These cantaloupe shaped boules (another name for this cheese in France is ‘boule de Lille,’ which pretty much translates to ball from Lille, it’s home city) are aged for 12 months (or 24 + if you’re lucky enough to be able to find extra aged; I’m not that lucky!), and they develop a mighty natural rind that snaps wires and puts up quite the fight! Good thing that the insides of Mimolette are ABSOLUTELY worth all of the work! The inner paste of this cheese is BRIGHT orange; the story goes that one of the French kings had a taste of Edam in Holland, which is also made in a cylindrical format. He decided that he wanted his own version of Edam, made in France, but with a differentiatior- the use of annatto, which is a naturally occurring dye (made from the seeds of the achiote tree), and which turns the cheese BRIGHT orange, and only enhances Mimolette’s cantaloupe-like qualities. So was born Mimolette! One of the closest French cheeses to cheddar, this fromage has been one of my favorites since my childhood; it used to be how the fromagere would lure my sister and I into the stinky cheese store, because we couldn’t resist the cheese’s delicious caramel notes, and the candy-like quality that EXTRA aged Mimolette has. Aged mimolette isn’t quite to the ‘candy’ stage yet, but she’s definitely on her way; hints of nuttiness and caramel really shine through.

I like shaving Mimolette over raddichio and egg salads, using it on sandwiches, or even baking it into gougeres- a French pastry similar to a cheese puff. It’s great in scones as well, or even paired with a chunk of really dark chocolate. As an adult, I still love Mimolette every bit as much as I did in my childhood, and I highly encourage you to seek this delicious beauty out!

[fromageselfies]

When you have enough clout in the cheese world that you can request cheeses be made for you, you know you’ve made it big! That’s what’s up with this cheese: Whole Foods’ global cheese buyer loved Uniekaas’ Parrano so much, that she asked for an extra aged version be made, just for her. Hence was born Robusto!

Country of Origin: the home of goudas, Holland!

Milk Type: Pasteurized Cow (mooooo!)

Rennet Type: Traditional animal rennet (sorry, vegetarian friends!)

Uniekaas is one of the big names in Dutch cheeses, so it’s no surprise to see them behind this wonderful cheeses as well! Parrano, Robusto’s younger brother in the cheese world, is sold as a mix of Italian-Dutch cheeses, and those same flavor profiles definitely come through in Robusto as well- and they’re even more well balanced and bold! Nutty like Parmigiano, Robusto maintains the incredible smoothness of a gouda, and gains the delightfulness of tyrosine, which occurs in aged cheeses (tyrosine is an amino acid that crystalizes into those salty, crunchy delicious bits that are found in aged cheeses; I’ve dubbed them cheese diamonds, because it’s always a joy to find them in a bite of cheese!). Bringing a little bit more oomph from the gouda side of the family, Robusto finishes with a GREAT carameley flavor that leaves you feeling like you could probably eat the entire block yourself! Not just an eating cheese (really, what cheese is!?), Robusto also melts down beautifully, and I LOVE using it in combination with some cheddar or gruyere to make a mac and cheese sauce that you’ll be thinking about for weeks to come! If you do want to just snack on this cheese by itself, I recommend a square or two of your favorite dark chocolate, a glass of your favorite nut brown ale, and a handful of green grapes. YUM!  Last little trick that I have: shred some Robusto up, bake it in the oven until crispy, and you’ve got a DELICIOUS cheese crisp- I love adding these onto salads for an extra burst of flavor and texture. I highly recommend swinging by your local Whole Foods Market and picking up a piece of this winner.

[fromageselfies]

Cheese ninja for hire!

[fromageselfies]

Country of Origin: Holland, the birthplace of Gouda!

Milk Type: Raw cow’s milk (moo!)

Rennet Type: traditional, animal (sorry, vegetarians!)

Melkbus 237 is a raw milk gouda from Holland. To create this cheese, Uniekaas (a big cheesemaking brand in Holland) and smaller, family run dairies from just outside of Gouda, Holland combined efforts, and the end product is a really creamy, but deliciously fully flavored gouda!

The name Melkbus comes from the old tradition of transporting the milk from milking facilities to the cheesemaking facility inside of large tin milk cans- which melkbus translates to. Back then, each can was stamped with the particular farm’s assigned numbers, helping to ensure that the cheesemaker knew where different particular milks originated. This gouda pays homage to that tradition by the fact that each cheese is produced on a single family farm, and then stamped with that particular farm’s number- hence the name of Melkbus 237! Like many cheeses that are created cooperatively, the beginning of it’s aging period is spent on the farm where it was created, but after not too long, it is transported to a nearly-century-old aging facility in the center of the city of Gouda, where it gets to spend the next 9-10 months.

Creamy, yet fairly firm, this cheese is incredibly rich, with finishing flavors of butterscotch and caramel, and a light hint of sweet cream. Bonus: she melts like an absolute dream, and is PERFECT to use in your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe! Don’t have a favorite? Head on over to Beecher Cheese’s website, where you’ll find the recipe for their world famous mac and cheese- I always use this recipe as the base for my mac and cheese; just switch out the cheeses and spices/extra additions!

(the link to their recipe is here: http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/CheesyInfo/Recipes/FirmCheese/BeechersWorldsBestMacCheese.aspx )

[fromageselfies]

Brace yourselves, Valentine’s Day is coming! How do I know that it’s coming (other than the obvious of checking the calendar...)?!? Because the decadent heart shaped cheeses have started to filter in! Today’s post will be a little different than others, as we are focusing in on two cheeses from a particular producer, rather than one single cheese. So, without further ado, let me introduce you to one of the grandmother’s of artisanal cheese in the United States:

Farmer/Cheesemaker: Judy Schad

Cheesemaking Company: Capriole INC

Location: Greenville, Indianna- right next to the Kentucky border

Milk Type: Alpine, Saanen and Nubian goat

Judy Schad and her husband Kevin are the masterminds behind Capriole Inc. In 1976 they bought their land- only to discover that Kevin’s family had actually owned the same plot of land decades back. If that doesn’t sound like it was meant to be, then I don’t know what is! Where cheeses like Roquefort and ricotta can be dated back incredibly far in history (to the the times of the Roman Empire!), American cheese history doesn’t span anywhere near as far back- we must look much closer to the present to really get a feel for America’s artisanal cheese revolution.

Like others at the forefront of the cheese revolution in the US, Judy and her husband were on the lookout for a sustainable lifestyle when they bought the land, and moved their three children there from the suburbs. Not only did they  seek a lifestyle that was more sustainable for themselves, but Judy also wanted to provide a model for goat farming that others could use as a stepping stone for their own farms.  Some 30 odd years later, Capriole is still going strong! They produce a variety of incredible goat cheeses-  including the two that  you see here today; The Fromage a Trois Boubon Chocolate Chevre torte, and the simple Chevre and pink peppercorn heart!

The bourbon chocolate chevre torte is absolutely bursting with flavor- the chevre is mixed with rich cocoa, while the raisins and pecans throughout are soaked in bourbon. For a match made in heaven, maybe you’ve still got a bottle of that Goose Island Bourbon County Stout hanging around!? For those who like it a bit mellower- the peppercorn chevre hearts. The quality of the chevre really comes through in these simple wheels, and they provide a perfect creamy vessel for the spice of the pink peppercorns. Pair this one with a bubbly! I don’t know about you, but I’m most likely going to end up with BOTH of these on my Valentine’s Day cheese plate!

[fromageselfies]

One of my biggest regrets  about my time spent studying abroad in France is that I did not eat NEARLY enough cheese. I mean, I couldn’t have known that I would someday become a cheesemonger, a Certified Cheese Professional, but still! Ah, well. I guess that I’ve just got to go back and make up for it then! Without too much further ado, I want to introduce you guys to a cheese that my host mom presented to me on one of my first night’s there, and that hails from the region where I studied abroad- and lastly, who has made it’s way into my list of absolute favorites: l’Edel de Cleron!

Country of Origin: France- the Franche Comte region, to be exact (and to be even more exact- from the city of Cleron!)

Milk Type: Pasteurized cow’s milk- moooo!

Rennet Type: traditional, like many European cheeses (sorry, vegetarians!)

Without a doubt, this silky, ooey, gooey small wheel of deliciousness is one of my newest favorite cheeses. Made in the same style as the French great, Vacherin Mont d’Or, Edel is wrapped in a band of bark before it is sent to age. Unlike Vacherin, Edel is made from pasteurized milk- which means that because of FDA standards, cheese lovers in the United States can’t have Vacherin Mont d’Or (she’s made with raw milk, and aged less than 60 days)- but Edel is a great stand-in, which they CAN have!

Edel has a softly blooming rind- you can see just a hint of white fuzz on top of her, and almost every wheel that I’ve seen manages to retain a very smooth top shell. The flavors are AMAZING! Buttery, every so slightly mushroomy, grassy... delicious! Because she is made with pasteurized milk, some of the flavors are a bit more muted than one finds in Vacherin, but that only serves to make Edel more approachable to more. And really, who can resit such an ooey, gooey, silky paste!? Not I! I’m planning on taking home one of the last wheels that we have, crisping up some potatoes in duck fat, and then tossing them in Edel before throwing them in the oven to bake. Top with some pork belly, and you’re set for a perfect warming winter meal!

[fromageselfies]

Jasper Hill is definitely one of the top dogs when talking about American Artisan cheeses. They’ve won ACS Best of Show for their washed rind Winnimere, Harbison took the title of ‘Best American Cheese’ at the World Cheese Awards last year, and this baby, Alpha Tolman has also placed at the American Cheese Society Conference! From soft ripened washed rinds, to raw milk blue cheeses, to Alpine inspired beauties, Jasper Hill does it all. So, let’s talk about Alpha Tolman a little bit more in dept, shall we?!

Country of Origin: The United States, of course! Vermont, to be exact.

Milk Type: Raw, Ayreshire cow’s milk! Moooooo!

Rennet Type: Traditional (animal rennet! Sorry, vegetarians!)

To talk about Alpha Tolman, one must first talk about the Kehler brothers. These two family members are behind the creamery and cellars at Jasper Hill, which has only been around since 2002. The cellars came later on, and the best part about them is that not only do they age cheeses produced on Jasper Hill farm within these cellars, but the Kehler brothers also help out other local cheesemakers by aging and meticulously caring for their cheeses in their cellars. You know that saying, “it takes a village”? These guys have really taken that to heart. They don’t just want to be successful, but they want their entire local economy to be successful.

Alpha Tolman is another American cheese inspired by European greats- in this case, Appenzeller, a deliciously meltable Alpine cheese was the original inspiration. Named after a dairy farmer who founded Greensboro, Vermont’s library in 1900, Alpha Tolman is nutty and slightly fruity flavors when young that evolve into a deeper caramelized onion reminiscent flavor as it ages. Like other cheeses made in the same style, the curds are cooked and pressed, before becoming wheels of cheese- which are then washed in a cultured brine, that gives Alpha it’s funky rind  (boy, is she a fragrant one!). 

As you can see in the sliced piece, the cheese develops those lovely little cheese diamonds (otherwise known as tyrosine, or “the salty crunchy bits” in aged cheeses) when on the older side, and boy, are those one of my favorite parts about aged cheeses! I’ve been on an Alpine cheese kick lately- which may or may not have something to do with how chilly it has been here this winter- and Alpha Tolman never disappoints! You could use Alpha in a delicious, pork belly and caramelized onion mac and cheese, or in place of Gruyere on a French Onion Soup, or simply snack on it paired with a tart apple, and a good, dark Porter or Stout!

[fromageselfies]

We've recently had a post about Gruyere (and I re-visit this baby every year, and my love for it actually grows every year, too!), so I won't bore you too much with the details- I just wanted to reiterate how big these wheels of cheese are!

Here are some Gruyere fun facts for you to keep you learning:

The production of Gruyere can be traced back all the way to 1115!

Affinage (aging) in the caves at lasts anywhere between 5 to 18 months, depending on which specific variety is being produced (after three months spent aging at the dairy where it was made).

Humidity and temperature are heavily controlled during affinage- humidity is kept at 90%, while the cave temperature is maintained at 59 degrees F.

There are Alpage varieties, made only when the cattle are taken higher up into the Alps at the beginning of springtime.

Did you guys hear that last month, someone stole over 70 wheels of Comte (Comte wheels are roughly the same size as gruyere wheels). Can you image?! I hope that the Comte frutiers are able to get their product back!

[fromageselfies]

Soft ripened cheeses aren't generally a hard sell- they're creamy, they're rich, they're full of flavor. This guy is absolutely no exception- in fact, Il Nocciolo is probably one of my current favorite soft ripened little guys! So, let's cover the deets:

Country of Origin: Italy

Milk Type: Pasteurized cow, goat AND sheep (triple threat!)

Rennet Type: TBD

I'll be honest- sometimes I think that soft ripened cheeses are a little bit overdone. Don't get me wrong- they're delicious! But I love the depth of flavor that you get in more aged, harder cheeses- some soft ripened cheeses are like butter in a disguise (and again, don't get me wrong- I LOVE butter!). Because of that, I tend to gravitate towards aged goudas, cheddars and Alpine style cheeses more often than soft ripened ones- but this one? I tried a bite, and I took one home that night- it's that good! The cheesemonger couldn't stay away!

Now, you might think that it's sort of strange that the cheese is made from a combination of three different types of milk, or that they could clash- but they don't! I'll always remember reading Max McCalman (cheese idol!) and a quote that really stuck out to me- that even if pasteurized, mixed milk cheeses will ALWAYS have a very full, rounded flavor. The different milk types all bring something different to the plate! Goat adds just a bit of a tang, while the sheep's milk makes this cheese decadently rich, and the cow's milk brings everything together.

Caseifico Alta Langa is the cheese consortium behind this, and other soft ripened cheeses from Italy- one in particular that we've talked about before: La Tur (the mixed milk geotrichumed cheese that looks like a little cupcake in it's package!). Il Nocciolo- meaning 'hazelnut tree'- is a robiola style cheese, and is shaped like a quaint little ice cube (or jumbo marshmallow!). It has a very thin, velvety skin covering it's melt-in-your-mouth paste. It's so fluffy, light, with hints of sour cream, and I served it on toasted baguette slices drizzled with honey at brunch last week, and it was a DEFINITE hit. Pair it with a good bubbly, and you're set for a decadent brunch!

[fromageselfies]

One of the most fun parts of my job is getting to teach people about cheeses and different pairing ideas! At my previous job, I got to host quarterly beer and cheese tastings at a local brewery. At my current job, I get to host monthly cheese nights! We have a cheese and beer tasting coming up tomorrow (Tuesday, October 13th!), and my store’s sommelier and beer buyer, Tim, and I, were asked to do a guest spot on a local news station about beer and cheese pairings! Even though our weather has been strangely warm thus far this fall, we’ve been gearing up for an Octoberfest/fall based tasting tomorrow, with some ideas of how to warm yourself with delicious beer and cheese pairings.

Here’s a hint: If you’re a pumpkin beer drinker, and LOVE Pumpkick, but have never been able to quite figure out what to pair with it- give Ski Queen Gjetost a shot. This Norwegian goat milk cheese has the texture of fudge, with the flavors of caramel, and it’s a real brain-confuser! A delicious brain-confuser, but it’ll still make you think “am I really eating cheese right now?!”. Last year, I showed you guys a fondue made with Gjetost as the base, and I hope that some of you had the chance to try it out!

(And of course, when you show up to the news station a bit early for your spot, you stage faux debates, and take selfies with cheese!)

[fromageselfies]

You know what’s funny? When i very first started working with cheese, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Alpine cheeses. That meant raclette, gruyere, beaufort... i know, I know. Sad, right!? I didn’t *hate* them, but they were definitely not my favorites. Now? I can’t stop recommending and eating the Alpines on EVERYTHING and to EVERYONE. Scharffer Maxx? So creamy and delicious. Pleasant Ridge Reserve? Gimme some of that. Comte? Love that floral and milder Alpine. Alpages? Remind me of my childhood. But we’re not here to talk about any of those guys today- today is about Kaltbach Cave Aged Gruyere.

Country of Origin: Switzerland!

Milk type: raw cow

Rennet type: traditional animal rennet (sorry vegetarians!)

Gruyere is an AOP cheese, meaning that it has specific regulations for it’s making- like other cheeses that we’ve talked about, such as Parmigiano, Roquefort, Brie de Meaux... This ensures that the production of the cheese is kept to traditional standards, and thus keeps tradition alive. Innovation is a great thing, but... there are some things that don’t need to be messed with! Gruyere  and other AOC cheeses are some of those things. We don’t want them to ever become just a piece of history, something of the past! One of Gruyere’s AOP regulations states that the cave in which the cheese is aged must have a climate extremely close to that of natural caves. It’s crazy how much temperature and humidity can affect the cheese- the range for humidity for a properly aging cave for Gruyere falls between 94-98% humidity. If it’s not humid enough, the cheese will dry out. If it’s too humid, it’s rind will become a sludgy paste.

The size of the cheese in this photo is no camera-trickery either- Guyere is a large format cheese! Weighing in around 70-80 pounds makes it so that this cheese can be aged for as long as it without becoming totally dried out. Even at a year of age, Gruyere manages to be creamy. It’s one of my absolute favorite melting cheeses- uses it in fondue, throw it on a raclette machine, use it in mac and cheese, on french onion soup, for cheesy bread... the melty options are delicious!

Gruyere is one of those cheeses that I like to say is a ‘taste of history.’ What does that mean? Well, the first mention of Gruyere dates back to 1115. Yeah, you read that right- this cheese has been around for a LONG time. For good reason, too (it’s delicious!). This particular gruyere (Kaltbach) is aged for a minimum of 12 months, at least 9 of which are spent inside of sandstone caves. The end result is a cheese that is deliciously nutty, slightly brothy, and my favorite thing in the world to melt, to eat with pink lady apples, or to take on a picnic with a salami and a good loaf of bread. It’s a great fall and winter cheese, and some of my crowd-favorite beer pairings have been with Gruyere- grab an Oatmeal Porter and try it with a hunk of delicious, cave aged Gruyere!

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One of my favorite things to do is crack the big wheels of cheese- I like to jokingly call parmigiano cracking my workout-of-the-day. At a whopping 80 pounds, wheels of the king of cheese weight more than half of what I weigh- but yes! I can still pick them up by myself! The only reason that they are any sort of difficult is the fact that their rinds get pretty sweaty and wet- hard to get a grip on! People are always absolutely fascinated by the process of cutting open an entire wheel of parmigiano- one of my favorite photos of my boss is a shot of him holding a half wheel of freshly cracked parmigiano over his head, while a young boy looks up at him and the cheese in ABSOLUTE awe. We had a visitor inspecting the store a few weeks ago, and he happened to be in our department while i was cracking a wheel of parm, and he absolutely could not look away- it’s almost entrancing if you’ve never seen it before! Anyway, I’m sure that a fairly large percentage of you are familiar with parmigiano reggiano  (especially because we’ve talked about it not too long ago!), but I’ll cover the details of this world-famous cheese, just in case!

Country of Origin: Italia, of course!

Milk type: raw cow’s milk

Rennet type: traditional, animal rennet, as per Parmigiano’s PDO designated standards (sorry vegetarians!)

If you’re a foodie, I highly recommend watching the show “The Chef’s Table”- in particular, the very first episode, where Massimo Bottura is featured- much of this episode revolves around Parmigiano, and what this chef did for the cheese. i won’t spoil it for you, but it’s a story that makes me want to use Parmigiano in EVERYTHING! 

One of my favorite things to do with freshly grated parmigiano is to butter the outside of a slice of bread meant to become a grilled cheese sandwich, and firmly press in some grated parm. You will get the most golden and delicious outer crispy shell for a sandwich that you’ve ever had! Another simple way to eat it, as recently pictured by Aziz Ansari snacking- grab some great balsamic, a wedge of fresh cracked parm and drizzle that balsamic over. Then go to town! YUM!

[fromageselfies]

One of my favorite parts of being  a cheesemonger is getting to try new cheeses, and discover new favorites. I LOVE receiving samples- and a lot of the time, they get me! This is one of the most recent ones that got me- an awesome Tomme from Georgia! We usually will try samples at work, and someone gets to take home the leftovers- there were NO leftovers of this cheese! Without further ado, let’s get down to the details of this Thomasville tomme!

Country of Origin: United States! Georgia, specifically.

Milk type: grass fed, raw cow milk!

Rennet type: Currently cannot find any info on rennet type, but will continue to search!

Tomme style cheeses are traditional in the mountainous regions of Europe, specifically in the Pyrenees. Sweet Grass Dairy LOVES their hometown and their state, as you can tell by the name of the cheese- and the dairy even has a cheese shop set up in Thomasville, Georgia! This tomme has some of the best flavors that I’ve tasted in a tomme (my favorite tomme ever- not kidding!), and I can almost guarantee you that a large part of this is due to the fact that the cows are pastured. Not only are the cows pastured, but the farm operates on a New Zealand rotational grazing model- this means that every 12 hours, the cows are moved to another pasture. This ensures that no one part of the land becomes overburdened, which is a great idea (and very simple!). The farm has been producing cheese since 2002, and has won dozens of ribbons from the American Cheese Society (who I received my certification through).

Enough about the farm itself, and more about the cheese! Made from raw milk- which helps to preserve the terroir of the milk- this tomme is aged for the minimum required time- at least 60 days. It has a natural rind, typical of many tommes, and the paste inside is GLORIOUS. There’s an obvious yellow color to the cheese, brought about by the fact that the cows get to graze, and therefor have more beta carotene in their diets, which passes on to the milk. No annatto here! The paste itself is supple and semi-soft, and so rich, and buttery, with an amazing finish that’s almost piney. Let it come to room temperature to allow for the full flavors to develop-but if you can’t wait, it’s still REALLY GOOD straight out of the fridge!

The farm uses this tomme to make a pimento cheese, and recommends salami sandwiches- and I couldn’t agree more. This cheese makes for a perfect picnic cheese- in salami sandwhiches, or paired with dried apricots and some sprouted almonds. This cheese would also make an awesome toasty, melted over sourdough bread and sliced cornichons. MHH MHH! If you’re lucky enough to live near Thomasville, check out their cheese shop and please tell me about! If not, and you’re interested in buying some of their cheese, you can actually find it online- right here: http://sweetgrassdairy.com/thomasville-tomme